Pine County, Minnesota

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.2 | 30,197 people · 4th most distressed in Minnesota
American Default Research

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Pine County, MN registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.2 — 1577th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within Minnesota, it ranks 4th of 87 counties. It scores higher than all 7 of its neighboring counties.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Pine County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 87.0 — worse than roughly 87% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 87.0
Unemployment Rate 99
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 79
Business Formation Rate 83
Housing Cost Burden 49.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 65
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 84
Homeownership Rate 8
Rent-to-Income Ratio 28
Community Vulnerability 45.4
Uninsured Rate 25
Disability Rate 66
Income & Poverty 38.9
Poverty Rate 32
Income vs. State Median 57
Child Poverty Rate 28
Debt & Delinquency 30.5
Debt in Collections 32
Medical Debt 16
Student Loan Delinquency 10
Auto Loan Delinquency 7
Credit Card Delinquency 42
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 76

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Pine County compares to its 7 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Pine County
Pine County, MN 50.2 Elevated —
Burnett County, WI 49.2 Normal -1.1
Aitkin County, MN 47.7 Normal -2.6
Isanti County, MN 42.5 Normal -7.8
Kanabec County, MN 42.1 Normal -8.1
Douglas County, WI 42.0 Normal -8.3
Carlton County, MN 40.2 Normal -10.1
Chisago County, MN 36.2 Normal -14.0

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Pine County
Jefferson County, IA 50.2 Elevated -0.0
Garrard County, KY 50.3 Elevated +0.0
Delta County, MI 50.2 Elevated -0.0
Lafayette County, MO 50.1 Elevated -0.1
Gratiot County, MI 50.4 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Pine County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Pine County

Find an Attorney

Minnesota State Bar Association Lawyer Referral offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Minnesota State Bar Association Lawyer Referral 612-278-6333

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Pine County residents at no cost.

Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis 612-334-5970
Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid 612-332-1441
Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services 1-888-575-2954
Central Minnesota Legal Services, Inc. (612) 334-5970
Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (800) 933-1112
Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota Corporation (800) 450-8585

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Pine County, Minnesota?

    Pine County has a County Distress Index score of 50.2 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,577th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 4th in Minnesota out of 87 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Pine County?

    The primary driver of distress in Pine County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 87.0 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Pine County compare to neighboring counties?

    Pine County (50.2) can be compared to its 7 neighboring counties: Burnett County, WI (49.2); Aitkin County, MN (47.7); Isanti County, MN (42.5).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Pine County?

    Pine County, Minnesota has a population of approximately 30,197 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.